Jorge

Lopez

López warmed up Thursday, but he sat back down because he didn’t feel well. With the Nationals having lost two close games, López certainly would have pitched at least once by now had he been feeling up to it.

Lopez hasn’t pitched since March 10th and now we know why. The 32-year-old is scheduled to throw a light bullpen today and could pitch in a spring training game and be ready for Opening Day if the bullpen session goes well.

Finnegan was non-tendered back in November by the Nationals on the heels of an All-Star campaign when he recorded 38 saves along with a strong 3.68 ERA. It likely worked out in the club’s favor since Finnegan could have earned up to $9 million in arbitration but will come back at just $6 million after he was unable to land a better deal elsewhere. He should slot back in as the team’s closer and could be a trade candidate again this summer if the Nationals are not in playoff contention. That means Jorge Lopez will go back to being just another late-inning reliever for Washington.

Unless the Nationals make a late move to bring back Kyle Finnegan or perhaps take a flier on Craig Kimbrel, the closer’s role could come down to Sims and Jorge López. Sims definitely has the raw stuff to do the job, but he’s also walked 15 percent of the batters he’s faced while posting a 3.67 ERA the last two years. López is probably the favorite for saves right now.

Sims split last year between the Red Sox and Reds, finishing with a pedestrian 4.38 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 49/30 K/BB ratio across 49 1/3 innings (58 appearances). He has plenty of high-leverage experience and would figure to be in the mix with Jorge López, Derek Law and Jose A. Ferrer to close for Washington. Even if he winds up winning the job, his fantasy appeal is limited to extremely deep mixed leagues.

Lopez was a solid contributor in 2024 with a 2.89 ERA and 50/19 K/BB in his work for the Cubs and Mets in 2024. The right-hander stands a good chance to earn saves at this point, but fantasy managers will want to see what else the Nats do before assuming he’s worthy of a draft selection.

The New York Post’s Jon Heyman says López will be guaranteed $3 million. As long as they don’t stop here, López is a decent enough addition to the Nationals bullpen. The 31-year-old had a 2.89 ERA and a 50/19 K/BB in 53 innings for the Mets and Cubs last season. He probably rates as the current favorite for saves in D.C., but we imagine they’ll add at least one superior option before camp opens.

López’s season ends with a nice 2.89 ERA in 52 appearances for the Mets and Cubs. He’ll be in greater demand as a free agent this time around than when he settled for $2 million last winter.

López ended up missing a little over the 15 required days while dealing with a groin strain. The 31-year-old should be a mid-to-late inning option for Chicago for the final few weeks.

López gave up six runs in two-thirds of an inning in his second rehab appearance for Triple-A Iowa on Sunday, but the Cubs are going to bring him back anyway. It’s unlikely that he’ll be in line for saves.